This article is more than 1 year old

World's first ever Nobel Prize winning integrated circuit to be auctioned

Pah, what's the point, it would be rubbish for playing Crysis, etc

Are you a chip nerd with $2m to spare? Then you're in luck, because a historic prototype of the world's first integrated circuit is set to be auctioned at Christie's.

The expensive piece of computing history was invented by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments in 1958 and demonstrated that an integrated circuit could be squeezed onto a single chip.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his invention, which kickstarted the microchip revolution.

The prototype integrated circuit was built in 1958 and made from a doubly diffused germanium wafer with flying gold wire and four leads. It was actually built by Tom Yeargan, who also built another silicon circuit with five gold and platinum leads which will be included in the lot.

The lot is part of the Sale of “Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts Including Americana,” in New York. It will be on pbulic view in London, May 22, 23, 27 and 28, at Christie’s in South Kensington.

So what might this be useful for? Let us know. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like